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Jumeirah Gardens / SOM & Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
UPDATE: We wrongly credited the whole project to AS+GG, but they were only comissioned to design the three main towers, on a master plan designed by SOM Chicago.
It seems no one told Dubai about the financial crisis, as new projects keep being unveiled. This time, our green friends over Inhabitat tipped us on a mega development, owned by Maraas Holding: The Jumeirah Gardens. The master plan for this project was designed by SOM Chicago, and consists of a mixed-use development that incorporates low, medium, and high-density zones for business, residences, retail, leisure, and recreation – a city within a city, with an estimated cost of US$95 billion.
The three main towers were comissioned to Chicago based architects AS+GG (Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill), The most impressive one -and the third tallest tower in the UAE- is 1 Dubai, pictured above. The tri-partite skyscraper will be 3218 ft (981m) tall, and the towers will be connected by a series of glass suspension sky-bridges. This bridges are so big, they even grow palms on them as you can see on the further renderings. At the base of the buildings, grand arched entrances allow boats to travel underneath the building and into a central atrium space. The mixed-use development includes a hotel, residential, commercial retail and entertainment space totaling 800,000-900,000 square meters.
Next, we have Park Gate, a complex of 6 mid-rise towers facing each other to form a grand garden space and create a shaded micro climate – ad-hoc for the desert climate.
The shade is accomplished by linking the towers with a vaulted canopy structure. The space beneath the canopies is transformed into a verdant grotto. Vegetation is enmeshed with the canopies and exterior balconies of the towers, creating a highly sustainable 360 degree garden.
The result is an impressive urban hall. Each of the six towers is 30-40 stories. The development includes residential, commercial, retail, hospitality and entertainment spaces.
1 Park Avenue is a 1968ft (600m) with a fluid shape, that “[...] symbolizes Dubai’s historic relationship to water- drawing parallels to the movement of the Gulf around which the city was built and the waterways that will transport newcomers and travelers throughout the city in the future”. The mixed-use tower will have a total built-up area of 350,000 square meters.
Excavations have started, and project should be completed by 2020.
I gotta say that I´m really looking forward to visit Dubai. I need to see how this turns up with my own eyes.
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28 comments »
Considering the recent slow down in the Dubai real estate market, one must ask whether or not most of these new towers will actually be built???
Justin, In Dubai.
heh! im watchin this dubai scene and wondering where have i seen this all? oh yes!- computer games! some pieces are so similar they make me throw up.
Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’ ;)
gross.
This kind of projects are bullshit! They aim not to bring solutions to real problems of the mankind. They are just hotels, and shops and restaurants, forcing people to travel and to spent money which destination is very uncertain. Besides they are each time more bizarre excentric and foolish!
More than the fact that these projects are BS… there just isn’t the population to support all this development.
These are part of the most spectacular architecture ever to be bult. I always love Dubai’s modern projects.
The previous posters should stop being cynical and appreciate a work of art rather than pretending to be worried if these buildings are viable or not. The pockets of the Dubai sheikhs will never be empty as far as they have the oil under their ground.
At least they invest their money in something concrete and dont waste it like our stupid banks do.
We all adore and love going to London and New York to admire the shapeless square skyscrapers that have been built there but when it comes to the superb and futuristic projects that are being built in Saudi Arabia we all are filled with disgust. If they were bilt in US or Europe everyone would hail them with pride and admiration.
The above comments are just hypocritical and dumb.
Do I see Hanging Gardens in these designs? what was it that happened to Babylon?
It’s true that building the buildings doesn’t exactly solve world hunger.
But it does put the focus on putting as much residential space as possible in the middle of the city, which we now know if more environmentally sustainable than a sprawling suburbia.
Obviously the lower class and middle class folks won’t be able to afford to live in these big towers, but it is a step in the right direction with regard to long term, environmentally friendly housing for an expanding population.
If Dubai sets a trend, perhaps others will follow?
Eliot, follow this link please:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/08/middleeast.construction
And get information. The world needs social frames, not more commercial surfaces.
I’m an Emirati and I am sorry but I have to say that all those negative people who come to Dubai are spoiled Western expats who complain about the development and construction, weather and local customs but are perfectly happy to just come and spend our money, party all day long, live in these new high rise buildings. Ask any of one of these guys if they have even met a UAE national. never!
So dont complain and bitch about these new development when people in the US and Europe have designed them and they are the ones who will live in them.
FYI, dont complain about our mosques either. If you’ve forgotten this is still a muslim country!
honestly… I think this is spectacular. If anything the economic troubles should be even more of a reason to start a project like this! Why? It’s bringing a source of inspiration to the rest of the world through artistic innovation! Besides that, it’ll be at a bargain. If it was Iceland that wanted to build something like this, well, it wouldn’t matter if it was a bargain or not, they simply wouldn’t be able to afford it.
I can’t wait for the day when I’ll be able to see the marvelous buildings myself which will encourage global and cultural exploration just to see the darn things.
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/salas.356/files/poverty_rates_of_rich_countries.bmp
I guess USA has its own skyscrapers…and it makes its funds..
you’re absolutely right. USA business essentially makes their own monetary funds. of course there are federal loans and grants, next to private loans subsidized or unsubsidized.
But I’m actually really glad that you posted that because it does point out an essential flaw in the “rags to riches” myth… That there really is no “rags to riches” and a lot of the US is living under the poverty line, child or not. Unfortunately it’s something that is often ignored. It’s also a question that I’ve posed to several politicians, “wht are they going to do about poverty in America?” … Especially because, unfortunately, in the current campaign it’s also been a very ignored issue. Simply ignoring a problem won’t make it go away.
Antonio: I had a look at the link and it talks about how the wages of the workers are low. However in your comments and those of the guys before you the topic of criticism was the style of the buildings and not the other issues. You are talking about bizarre, eccentric and foolish designs and not about unethical practices involved in building them.
As far as the workers wages go: i suppose if the wage was low and not worth then the workers wouldnt work there. It is a similar situation as the position of the polish workers in the UK. The polish workers are prepared to work for a lower wage than that of a British worker. However i havent heard anyone complain about how low the polish workers are paid (but rather people moan about how the polish are ’stealing’ our jobs).
So the moral of the story is: Have a better look at your own house before criticising that of your neighbours.
well having a similar situation in ones country doesn’t mean you can’t comment on others, those buildings are not meant to be social by the look of them and not office buildings either, people just seem to have too much money there and don’t know what to do with it so they give to foreign architects ( they don’t seem to have much architect in Dubai ?? ) and hire cheap working force from nearby poor countries to build them, that doesn’t mean those projects are not interesting but design is also based on efficiency and usefulness.
M, I hav lived in Dubai for several years now, have met many Emiraties and think the mosques are great.
Don’t get me wrong… but 99% of westerners are just here to make a bit of money then go back to their home countries. With a current population smaller than most small cities (at around 1.5 million) and very small real population growth (its reported as being 7% but about 35% of these people are indian workers who earn about a dollar a day – they obviously cant afford to buy even the cheapest apartment here).. plus 60-70% of all real estate purchasers and investors .. which when the market softens.. no one will buy and they’ll go back home.. plus about 90% of the population is in the real estate industry.. so once again.. once the market softens many people will leave as companies won’t be able to make any money if they dont have any people to buy their developments…. plus there is going to be a HUGE oversupply of every asset class starting from 2009.. and the demand/supply gap grows exponentially every year… plus their is now no liquidity in the market .. so no one can borrow money to make these developments.
In the end.. Dubai is just a developing country (I mean there arent even street addresses or mailboxes here!). Much like Shanghai was booming a few years ago.. the pricings were spiraling out of control… and now they have the highest percentage of incomplete buildings in the world. Given Chinas HUGE population.. and Dubai’s tiny 1.5 million (which i reiterate that a third is people that cant afford to buy McDonalds).. what do you really think are the chances of these buildings being built? Its all hype with no progress.. just look at Dubailand.. those theme parks are supposed to be completed next year yet its just a big pile of sand.
M, you need a reality check!
I understand what everyone is saying, but isn’t the point to admire the architecture itself? Not whether or not it will or won’t be built or how it affects the economy, because no matter how you personally feel about it, whatever happens to that building will happen regardless how you feel.
The point of it being posted here is for architects to see it and get inspired. Now we see architecture going into a newmovement, it’s not simple a safe shelter over head now, it is art. I am a design visualization specialist and I’m always excited for these types of projects even if they aren’t always completed, I marvel at the creativity.
I agree but architecture is also about wether it fits in its environment aswell and i think a developing country would be better off spending money building schools, art centers or proper shelters for its workers rather than luxurious hotels
this kind of architecture serves only the rich, the eyes and fantasies which it suppose to contribute to humanity. No sense of community, social interactions, and environmental conservation.
World can be destroyed by crisis, but creativity must go on.
Arabs had already invested so much in America, some in Europe, and it means a lot to enhancing humanity, community development, social interactions facilities, prosperity for those non Muslim areas.
Now it’s okay for Arabians playing around a little bit with Amazing architecture and Petro-Dollars, giving money and opportunity for several Western architect to implements their knowledge that could not be carried out in their hometown.
So that’s where all the money ends up? In a residence and hotels and boutiques we will never be able to go inside? Hmmm… If only the 95 Billion dollar ego of SOM could be substituted for a hunger releif fund, the world could literally be a better place. However, I still want to work with them. Hahah. This is where Architecture meets Orgy and Greed.
total KITSCH ! As always in this citys without arch. culture !
Wait, if it says that 1 Dubai, at 981 m tall will be the third tallest tower in the UAE, what are the second and first tallest? I was under the impression that the Burj Dubai, currently topped out but still under construction, was slated to be the tallest building in the world, at 818 meters tall…
is it just me or is there no evedence of a garden it this design?? or does 1 park avenue look kinda like… never mind. this WHOLE project is ugly, not one aspect of it is nice or even ok to look at… Im so dissapointed in SOM for helping produce such an ugly Dubian mess.
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